Two things. 1. If you hated it maybe it was the wrong choice, 2. You can walk in the spring commencement if you want to, that’s what I did for grad school.
this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
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I love engineering, I hated University. The framework of school is not for everyone and reading 300 pages of complex stuff every week for 4 years is boring to death and it isn't for me, and for a lot of people.
School of all levels caters to one type of learning, and not everyone is good with that style.
I experienced a wide array of learning types. Some profs rely on student-led learning from book readings and assignments, some relied on in-person lectures, some worked through examples in class and had similar examples on homework along with challenge problems that extend the examples in new ways, one had us use mathcad to build a model of increasing complexity with each lecture.
Saying university caters to one type is an absurd reduction. Unless that one type is “learning”.
Engineering is a skilled trade with a long list of topics that have to be covered. You don’t have to be an engineer, you could do a two year tech school or just DIY and roll your own, prove yourself through your work to get into engineering-like jobs.
Good for you. My experience is that the program was geared towards people that would continue to masters and PhDs.
I had an exam every two weeks, hundreds of pages every week to read and the professors weren't really available for us, and teaching assistant didn't really give a shit.
The labs were mostly just math labs, with really specific applications.
My only real project was the end of program project that lasted a bit short of 2 years. And the professors that were supposed to help us and support us told us that the project would fail for a good part of a year and a half. And when the project was a success and gave exposure to the school, the same professors that gave us shit for almost the entirety of the project took the credit for a successful project.
If you wanted to do hands on engineering, you had to join extra curricular teams.
My opinion on the matter is certainly tainted by my awful experience, but I did a program to become a technician in my field before going to engineering school and it was much more appropriate for my learning style.
Validation need not come from anywhere outside yourself. Set your own goals. Do your best. Pat yourself on the back. People who 'recognize' you only do so superficially anyway. No one can truly know what you've done or where you've been.
I mean, sure, but it is still nice to have some external validation now and again you know?
In monetary form even.
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If one is not inclined to social gatherings but still feel a need for something to signal this passage (or any other), a good option is to perform a personal ritual of choice.
Human brains seem to be inclined to appreciate symbolism.
While I agree with the sentiment, I don't think that the lack of ritual is the underlying problem here.
I have an MSc and have spent the day cleaning gutters, I have no idea what to do and am unsure whether I'd be better off dead.
The school to hospice informal incarceration pipeline is omnipresent for the working class, and college/trades level is right there in the middle. Right after kid jail and before wage slavery.
I dunno, I prefer this to having to take care of cows and growing my own crops.
Life and the endless crushing need for resources is the prison.
False dichotomy. This has nothing to do with cows and crops on some imaginary "farm". In reality there's no actual need for people to slave away their whole lives serving capital just so we can destroy the planet.
I just didn't go to my graduation ceremony, despite there being free dinner. Was (and had been for ages) struggling with pretty bad depression and didn't feel I deserved any of it.
I've got 3 degrees and have a Gold Duke of Edinburgh award (if you do bronze, silver, and gold, you get to shake hands with a failed king)
- Never went to any graduation ceremony
- Never went to Buckingham Palace to shake hands with Prince Philip.
I am right now, sitting at home in my jammies eating burritos. I regret nothing.
How do I become smart? All I do are online courses for tech and such. I have an established career. Good money, house family and shit....but I want the prestige of at least having a degree. But I'm functionally retarded with math.
How do I become smart? All I do are online courses for tech and such. I have an established career. Good money, house family and shit
Congrats, you are smart.
The challenge you have now is to acknowledge and feel it.
but I want the prestige of at least having a degree
So here's the problem. you want the prestige, not the intelligence. You can get a degree in various ways if you want, and have the time. You can attend a university course part time, or through their online facilities. Choose a topic you've done a lot of online courses for and try for a degree.
But I’m functionally retarded with math.
There's resources online to help with this, maybe the new methods will help you understand math concepts better. Common core, khan academy, and the sponsor of this lemmy post, skillshare
I do want to earn the degree. Not fast track my way through or anything. Im 33. I skipped higher education for CS, MS, Networking certs. The general ed courses are my only stopping block. And widdling that down more it really is math.
I won't commit until I put my money where my mouth is most of the time. I've learned that from burning myself out with certs.
The general ed courses are my only stopping block. And widdling that down more it really is math.
It sounds like you're from the US. Some of the international universities might have paths that don't require strict maths... maybe a logic course? Not sure.
Anyway, part time education doesn't fast track, it's usually the opposite. Check out some courses to see if they might offer you a path that's more suitable.
For example, this course from London Met doesn't have any maths requirements :
However, part time/remote options aren't very clear on that website.
You can do this course remotely with the Open university , but it has maths requirements
most important is that you enjoy it. Not having the degree didn't stop you achieving before, so it should be for self fulfilment. I also don't have a degree per se (more a diploma/dropout) but it's fun to look into this stuff and play pretend with a stranger's life from time to time.
Best of luck with everything, dear stranger.
For some tracks there are even speedrun/lower-cost guides for online degrees through places like WGU. They except transfers from online courses as well. You can do it cheap, especially if you get tuition reimbursement.
I just found out my state (Massachusetts) offers associates programs at any state CC for anyone who doesn't already have a degree. For adults over 25 the program is called MassReconnect. I'd have to look into transfers, but I imagine those could be transferred to WGU towards a 4yr or post-grad degree. Some of the CC programs can also be done all (or mostly) online.
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You don't need to be smart. Back in my uni, there were student initiatives to record the questions and answers of previous exams. The Math department itself gave out previous years exams to study from.
The key to remember: exams aren't written my professors, they're written by the postdocs who have better things to do, and so they just rehash the same stuff from the year before.
If you want to get a useless piece of paper that tells you that you are an expert in topic X, then don't learn X, learn to pass the papers for the X exam, and learn X later in your free time if you're still interested in it.
Hmm...sounds like something I need to look into. I do want the useless piece of paper. But I want to earn it. For myself lol
Something, something judging a fish by it's ability to climb a tree
I think you're a smart person that's terrible at math. It's ok to be bad at math, I am too and I have a degree in computer science with a union job. Now that I've thrown away a bunch of money, I've learned that CS is awesome and I love it but I don't feel like I can qualify myself as being smart with it. With age I learned that I'm really smart with labor militancy and history, and if I could go back I'd get a degree in labor studies. I think you just need to find your topic.
I also think I can be a smart person that is terrible at math. I have so many niches of hobbies that I've gotten into, and my boss has already reiterated that a degree isn't going to help my tech ical skills at this point. But it's something I'd like to earn for myself. So the sky (and my wallet) are the limit on the degree I'd get.
Didn't go to any of mine outside of high school because I was a kid and my parents could force me on that one. By the time I finished grad school I really felt like I was just another person in an increasingly growing rat race. It's not even that I haven't accomplished anything so much as I haven't accomplished anything particularly unique that sets me apart and grants me intellectual value.
I graduated in the winter in 2023, didn't attend the ceremony or anything. I have really bad social anxiety so the ceremony seemed like more stress than a celebration for me, I just ordered food and relaxed. But I do remember, after walking out of my last final, thinking "damn do that's it huh", I know it's just a bachelors degree but I didn't believe in myself enough to even think I'd ever actually graduate. Things turned out okay though, even had a job lined up before graduation which was lucky given the current job market for software engineering. Believe in yourself, your hard work got you that degree, proud of you man!
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Why you do graduation ceremony btw? We don't do that here.
First you listen to a bunch of speeches. Then they call everyone's name individually, and you walk across a stage, shake hands with some people, get handed a degree. Then maybe everyone throws their hat in the air.
It’s a pretty big accomplishment so the schools like to throw a little party. It also allows students to invite family to see the campus and get an idea of how fast they can chug a beer.
It's what being an adult is like. You don't study for the fanfare, you study for a goal or for yourself.
That and if you have a significant other, you might also score a celebratory shagging.
Edit: Never mind, just realized this is an anon on 4chan posting about engineering school.
I’m kind of surprised; most colleges and universities I’ve seen still have a ceremony for people graduating at the end of the fall semester. It’s not nearly as elaborate as the one ending the spring semester, but it’s still something.
Still, most of life is going to be like that. Usually no real ceremonies for the last day on the job. Move out of your old house/apartment is a lot of work at the end and then you lock the door for the last time.
Congratulations, you’re an adult now.
We are, we are, we are, we are
We are the engineers!
We can, we can, we can, we can
Demolish forty beers
Drink rum, drink rum, drink rum, drink rum
And come along with us!
'Cos we don't give a fuck about anyone else
Who don't give a fuck about us.
That's what the first engineer I ever met said, but to be fair he was a combat engineer. Those guys are scary. Stick to electronics and bridges...
I think it's practical. I haven't known many engineer types to make a huge deal of graduation per se. It's just the next step in a bigger procedure.
Slight difference; being an ex on has the opposite effect on your ability to get a job.
Agreed, Exxon is a horrible company but I hear the pay is good. It would be tough for an ex-con to get a job as well.
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I've never attended a singe scholarly celebration since my middle schools where I went and realized that it was completely pointless
plus the whole preparation and fanfare is draining for me, id like to actually celebrate by relaxing not stressing over an event
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